If you get the winter blues and your feelings interfere with your life, you might have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression estimated to affect more than 2 million people in the UK.
SAD is one of the most peculiar types of depression because there doesn’t have to be a rational trigger. Some people get SAD when the clocks go back or when there’s more than one day of grey, miserable weather.
Battling the winter blues is difficult because it’s seasonal, brought about by things out of our control. However, we can make several changes to ease seasonal depression, and it all starts with improvements at home.
How your home is linked to the winter blues
For many people, winter feels like a restriction. The feeling of being trapped, couped up indoors, and restricted by shorter, colder days triggers depression.
Winter keeps us indoors more of the time. Sunshine is replaced by central heating, and natural light is replaced by artificial light. Days out are replaced by days in, and holidays are replaced by marathons of A Place in the Sun.
Unfortunately, spending more time at home in winter is inevitable. The question is, what can we do to make your home a nicer place to be?
TV and the winter blues
As winter weather sets in, our relationship with television changes. We look to it for comfort, company, and laughter. The key to making the most of TV in winter is to make sure you can view it in a comfortable, warm space.
Unlike Divan Beds, A TV bed is perfect for this. TV beds feature a footboard with an integrated mounting system powered by a motorised lifting system. At the press of a button, your TV rises from the footboard, giving you a perfect view of it in bed.
A TV bed can stop you from binge-watching
One of the unspoken benefits of TV beds is that they hide your TV away and put a physical barrier between you and the screen. If you are prone to binge-watching television shows, which affects your mental health, a TV bed could reduce the amount of TV you watch by keeping your TV out of sight.
You can also limit viewing time with a TV bed by setting the TV to turn off at a specific time and setting your TV bed to lower the TV automatically.
Television can keep you off your smartphone
Turning on your TV before bedtime can disrupt your sleep cycles; however, it’s certainly better than being on your smartphone.
A TV bed could improve your winter blues by keeping you occupied and off social media on your smartphone. Social media fuels anxiety, depression, FOMO (fear of missing out), and other mental health problems. Watching TV for a short time in bed (especially quality content) is a better use of your time.
Your bedroom is key to beating the winter blues
In winter, we can spend as much as 50% more time in our bedrooms. We tend to sleep longer, stay in bed longer, and go to bed earlier. This makes your bedroom a crucial space for your happiness, perhaps more so than any other.
Here are a few more quick wins for your bedroom:
Colour therapy
Upgrade from neutral walls to pastel colours. Pastel colours are subtle enough to brighten your bedroom without being over the top.
Plants and greenery
Bringing greenery into your bedroom is a great way to connect you to nature. Houseplants and bonsai trees are excellent options.
Textural healing
The texture of your bedding plays a role in how comfortable you feel. Upgrade to soft, plush bedding and use chunky knitted throws.
Control the chaos
Bedrooms and clutter don’t mix. Reduce clutter with more storage, like a bed with built-in drawers or a lift-up base.
When to get help
If your feelings are affecting your life, you should seek help. You can use this free online NHS tool to find your local NHS urgent mental health helpline.
